Bay Area/ San Francisco/ Fun & Entertainment
Published on March 22, 2019
The 4 best movies screening around Pleasant Hill this weekImage: Us/TMDb

In the age of streaming entertainment, it can be hard to leave the couch. But movie theaters still offer a special experience for those willing to get out of the house. Want to see what's out there? Take a look at this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Pleasant Hill.

Here are the highest rated films to catch, based on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer Score, which reflects the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics.

(Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango. Movie ratings and showtimes are subject to change.)

Us

Husband and wife Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.

Set to be released on Friday, March 22, "Us" already has a Tomatometer Score of 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Atlantic's David Sims said, "'Us' is a glorious symphony of fear, to be sure, but it's also an ambitious sci-fi allegory and a pitch-black comedy of the haves and have-nots," while Brian Truitt of USA Today noted, "Peele is this generation's Hitchcock, for sure, but also a true American original with introspective themes in hand and suspense to spare."

Catch it on the big screen at Century 16 Downtown Pleasant Hill and XD (125 Crescent Drive) through Wednesday, March 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.

With a Tomatometer Score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" has become a favorite since its release on Feb. 22.

"So much of 'The Hidden World' is stuffed with filler material. But in certain wordless moments, this grand final entry really sings," according to David Sims of the Atlantic, while the New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski said, "The movie could easily be called 'How To End Your Trilogy.'"

It's playing at Century 16 Downtown Pleasant Hill and XD (125 Crescent Drive) through Wednesday, March 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

Captain Marvel

The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

With a Tomatometer Score of 79 percent and an Audience Score of 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Captain Marvel" is well worth a watch.

"Does it work? The short answer is: yes. There's enough to keep both diehard Marvel fans and newcomers engaged," noted Mark Daniell of the Toronto Sun, while the New Yorker's Anthony Lane said, "Superhero cinema has lectured us, ad infinitum, on the responsibility that is conferred by extraordinary gifts. Praise be to Larson, for reminding us that they can be bringers of fun."

You can catch it at Century 16 Downtown Pleasant Hill and XD (125 Crescent Drive) through Wednesday, March 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

Green Book

Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans, forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line, relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.

With a Tomatometer Score of 78 percent and an Audience Score of 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Green Book" is well worth a watch.

The San Diego Reader's Scott Marks said, "Is it a feel-good charmer poised to rake in greenbacks and Oscar gold? You bet! But don't let that keep you away from this overall well balanced (and timed) look forward from the safe distance of America's motley past," and the Atlantic's Christopher Orr noted, "First-rate execution can't solve all of a film's problems, but (Viggo) Mortensen and (Mahershala) Ali offer a reminder that it can solve an awful lot of them."

It's screening at Century 16 Downtown Pleasant Hill and XD (125 Crescent Drive) through Wednesday, March 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets.

It’s all good in the neighborhood.

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This story was created automatically using local movie data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.